Lead lawyer Ken Anku told Joy News’ Seth Kwame Boateng that Justice Ernest Obimpeh cannot accept his dismissal because he was not given a fair hearing by the committee constituted to investigate allegations of misconduct against him.
President John Mahama on Tuesday directed the removal of Justice John Ajet-Nasam and Justice Ernest Obimpeh from office as Justices of the High Court on grounds of stated misbehaviour.
This follows President Mahama’s acceptance of the recommendations of a Five- Member Impeachment Committee that investigated their conduct in accordance with article 146 of the 1992 Constitution. The Committee was chaired by a Justice of the Supreme Court.
Both judges were implicated in the judicial corruption scandal in which some judges with both lower and high courts were caught on tape taking bribes to tilt the scale of justice.
However, counsel for Justice Obimpeh said the committee did not accord his client the necessary to defend himself.
“We are contesting this on basis of selective application of procedure, or lack of uniformity of procedure touching and concerning the three committees that have been set up and the substantive allegation itself.
Ken Anku insists that his client received no bribe and the only way this can be verified is for his client to go through evidential rule as stipulated by law.
In Ghana the final judicial power resides in the court not in a committee of fact finding. Whatever you do, it is the court that is the final arbiter, he said.
“Let us go to court and let the court listen to us or throw us away. If you want to convict someone you must give the person a fair hearing so that at the end of the day, the person himself of herself will be satisfied that he has gone through a fair trial.”
Source: Myjoyonline.com
